The local government of Caloocan — through its City Health Department — disclosed that three of its residents -— aged 26 to 41 — remain in quarantine due to concerns about potential monkeypox exposure.

Caloocan City Public Information Office spokesperson Shaira Peniano said that some of the quarantined individuals have scab wounds that are being sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for analysis.

However, she emphasized that the presence of scabs does not necessarily indicate a positive monkeypox diagnosis, citing the case of an 11-year-old child who had scabs but tested negative for the disease.

On Monday, Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan convened a meeting with city department heads to discuss measures to address the rising concern of monkeypox.

The city will conduct forums with business leaders and barangay captains to provide information about the disease and its prevention.

The local government unit has also launched a hotline for residents to call with monkeypox-related concerns.

Malapitan reminded residents to practice basic personal hygiene, including frequent use of disinfecting alcohol, to help prevent the spread of monkeypox.